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In this episode hosts Renée K. Nicholson and Ryan McCarthy explore Ryan’s journey into internal medicine and then the program director of a residency program in his hometown, Martinsburg, West Virginia (WV). 

“I got viral meningitis when I was a junior in high school and, while I was in the hospital, I found a group of young doctors at the foot of my bed who were residents. Intellectually, I saw some of myself there. I had never thought about medicine before I got sick and ended up in the healthcare system.” 

“I first heard the words ‘West Virginia needs you’ when I went to Morgantown to attend college at West Virginia University, and this planted a seed inside me. When I was in medical school, I felt comfortable in the classroom–I belonged. Socially, however, I felt strange being in the professional world for the first time.”

“When I was in the clinical years of medical school, I saw doctors who were capable in science while, at the same time, that they were emotionally available for patients, that’s who I wanted to be. They were my heroes.”

“I have always been an artistic person and, when Covid-19 came along, my creativity burst forth and prompted me to create Healthcare is Human. Working with artists, telling stories, and creating artifacts within healthcare has been the most fulfilling chapter of my career in medicine. I am excited for what comes next–whatever that is.” 

Healthcare is Human is created by Ryan McCarthy and is a signature program of the Berkeley Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency in Martinsburg, WV, https://medicine.wvu.edu/internal-medicine-eastern-division/residency/

This podcast is engineered by Kym Mattioli.

Visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram to see incredible photography by Molly Humphreys, native of Shepherdstown, WV. Find more of her world-class portfolio on Piccadilly Posh Photography https://www.instagram.com/piccadillyposh?igsh=Nm02YXlmdG1vZTJx

Learn more about Renée K. Nicholson, her poetry, prose, and other projects by visiting http://www.reneenicholson.com/

Healthcare is Human is supported by the West Virginia Humanities Council, WVU Medicine, WVU Foundation, Freedom’s Run Foundation, and generous donors in our community.

Isaac McCarthy (PhD candidate, Ohio State University) plays the banjo to open and close the show. https://music.osu.edu/people/mccarthy.851

Healthcare is Human is featured on TED.com; KevinMD; Synapsis; Doctors on Social Media; The Gold Foundation; Narrative Mindworks; West Virginia Public Broadcasting; 100 Days in Appalachia; American Public Health Association; and Academy for Professionalism in Health Care, amongst others. 

Be sure to visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram. If you have a great idea for a podcast, we would love to hear from you. 

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode hosts Ryan McCarthy and Renée K. Nicholson explore Renée’s creative journey, one that began as a professional ballet dancer and changed course into creative writing and humanities after a devastating illness. 

“When I couldn’t dance anymore, I wanted to figure out what was next for me. While I was at Butler University, I went to hear the Irish poet Seamus Heaney and I didn’t so much hear poetry as experience it as a full-body moment. When he read his poetry, I felt it in my sternum the way that I heard the strains of Swan Lake in my sternum as a dancer.” 

“I remember when I heard the Appalachia poet, Nikki Giovanni, who really spoke to me, and she also reminded me of people in West Virginia.” 

“Gen X, we are both digital and analog. I always carry a notebook with me, and sometimes, it is just a few words that capture something for me to come back to later.” 

Healthcare is Human is created by Ryan McCarthy and is a signature program of the Berkeley Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency in Martinsburg, WV, https://medicine.wvu.edu/internal-medicine-eastern-division/residency/

This podcast is engineered by Kym Mattioli.

Visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram to see incredible photography by Molly Humphreys, native of Shepherdstown, WV. Find more of her world-class portfolio on Piccadilly Posh Photography https://www.instagram.com/piccadillyposh?igsh=Nm02YXlmdG1vZTJx

Learn more about Renée K. Nicholson, her poetry, prose, and other projects by visiting http://www.reneenicholson.com/

Healthcare is Human is supported by the West Virginia Humanities Council, WVU Medicine, WVU Foundation, Freedom’s Run Foundation, and generous donors in our community.

Isaac McCarthy (PhD candidate, Ohio State University) plays the banjo to open and close the show. https://music.osu.edu/people/mccarthy.851

Healthcare is Human is featured on TED.com; KevinMD; Synapsis; Doctors on Social Media; The Gold Foundation; Narrative Mindworks; West Virginia Public Broadcasting; 100 Days in Appalachia; American Public Health Association; and Academy for Professionalism in Health Care, amongst others. 

#healthcareishuman

Be sure to visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram. If you have a great idea for a podcast, we would love to hear from you. 

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode we meet Dr. Urooj Fatima, a native of Pakistan and first-year internal medicine resident at the Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia. During her first month of residency, Fatima participated in a cooking class on the Eastern Campus of the West Virginia University School of Medicine as a part of the Culinary and Lifestyle Medicine Track. Working alongside medical students and family medicine residents, she helped prepare meals appropriate for patients undergoing bariatric surgery. The cooking was facilitated by a chef and paired with lectures from diabetes experts and bariatric surgeons in a day of hands-on learning at the Erma Byrd Health Professions Education Center. 

While she was cooking, hosts Renée K. Nicholson and Ryan McCarthy spoke with Fatima about a dish at the heart of Pakistani cuisine. 

“Biryani is important to us in Pakistan and we have it on every special occasion. ​​You marinate meat in yogurt and cut up onions and tomatoes–lots of tomatoes! And you then cook the onions and tomatoes together while you boil the rice. Then, you create layers, one of meat, one of rice, over and over again. Then, it goes in the oven on a slow temperature, creating a meat and rice layered cake. It’s spicy.”

Fatima also shared how her love of food helps shape her medical practice. “You have to be culturally relevant, understanding patients, their needs, their home. When we speak to patients, we need to understand where they are coming from.” She also shared, “I really like mysteries, stories, novels–these are my things. In medicine, I love puzzle solving,” which prompted Nicholson to respond, “With you and your patient, it's a co-constructed mystery. ”

Healthcare is Human is created by Ryan McCarthy and is a signature program of the Berkeley Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency in Martinsburg, WV, https://medicine.wvu.edu/internal-medicine-eastern-division/residency/

This podcast is engineered by Kym Mattioli.
 
Visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram to see incredible photography by Molly Humphreys, native of Shepherdstown, WV. Find more of her world-class portfolio on Piccadilly Posh Photography https://www.instagram.com/piccadillyposh?igsh=Nm02YXlmdG1vZTJx

Learn more about Renée K. Nicholson, her poetry, prose, and other projects by visiting http://www.reneenicholson.com/

Healthcare is Human is supported by the West Virginia Humanities Council, WVU Medicine, WVU Foundation, Freedom’s Run Foundation, and generous donors in our community.
 
 Isaac McCarthy (PhD candidate, Ohio State University) plays the banjo to open and close the show. https://music.osu.edu/people/mccarthy.851

Healthcare is Human is featured on TED.com; KevinMD; Synapsis; The Gold Foundation; Narrative Mindworks; West Virginia Public Broadcasting; 100 Days in Appalachia; American Public Health Association; and Academy for Professionalism in Health Care, amongst others. 
 
#healthcareishuman

Be sure to visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram. If you have a great idea for a podcast, we would love to hear from you. 

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode we meet Erin McGowan, a third-year medical student from Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, who shares her experiences in the Culinary and Lifestyle Medicine Track at the West Virginia University (WVU) School of Medicine in Martinsburg, WV:

“Right now, we are focusing on post-bariatric care. We're looking at recipes that, first of all, are very nutritious and specifically looking at the two-ounce serving size that you can eat right after bariatric surgery. We are introducing ourselves to what many of our patients might be experiencing, especially in the state West Virginia where a lot of people are dealing with obesity. This is a really big step for them and I think that, no matter what specialty I go into, I will have to bring in the nutritional side as much as I can. Obesity is so prevalent, so who is best to start that education, if not your family doctor? 

I feel very fortunate. My family ate pretty healthily growing up--as many colors on your plate as possible. I actually had an experience where I really wanted all the stuff that was really bad for me, but it wasn't in our house. I remember when I went to have a sleepover and they only had junk food in their house. I got so excited and I threw up within three hours and had to go home!  And looking back, you don't know what's good for you if you haven't had it growing up. I feel so fortunate that my body has that signal: this is not good for you.”

Healthcare is Human is created by Ryan McCarthy and is a signature program of the Berkeley Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency in Martinsburg, WV, https://medicine.wvu.edu/internal-medicine-eastern-division/residency/

This podcast is engineered by Kym Mattioli.

Visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram to see incredible photography by Molly Humphreys, native of Shepherdstown, WV. Find more of her world-class portfolio by searching for Piccadilly Posh Photography.

https://www.facebook.com/PiccadillyPoshPhotography

Learn more about Renée K. Nicholson, her poetry, and contributions to narrative medicine by visiting http://www.reneenicholson.com/

Healthcare is Human is supported by the West Virginia Humanities Council, WVU Medicine, WVU Foundation, Freedom’s Run Foundation, and generous donors in our community.

Isaac McCarthy (PhD candidate, Ohio State University) plays the banjo to open and close the show. https://music.osu.edu/people/mccarthy.851

Healthcare is Human is featured on TED.com; KevinMD; Synapsis; The Gold Foundation; Narrative Mindworks; West Virginia Public Broadcasting; 100 Days in Appalachia; American Public Health Association; and Academy for Professionalism in Health Care, amongst others. 

#healthcareishuman

Be sure to visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram. If you have a great idea for a podcast, we would love to hear from you. 

Send us Fan Mail

Healthcare is Human: Internal Medicine Residency, Melissa Carter 

In this episode we meet Melissa Carter, ambulatory service manager for medicine & pediatrics at the Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg, WV:

“I have been a medical assistant for eighteen years and started my journey going to college to be a special education teacher. I graduated high school early and then decided that I wanted to be in a position where I had the ability to make an impact on others. I changed course and, because my mother was a nursing assistant, I went into health care.”

“If you can come to the table with empathy, then you will be a wonderful healthcare provider, and that's really what we're aiming for with our internal medicine residency program. We want everyone to be treated as if they were someone in your family. If you were to walk into that office with your grandparents, how would you want them to be treated?”

This podcast features the poem “Diagnosis Color by Number” read by its author, Renée K. Nicholson. Learn more about Renée and her poetry by visiting http://www.reneenicholson.com/. 

Music written and performed by Robert Sears. 

Healthcare is Human is created by Ryan McCarthy and is a signature program of the Internal Medicine Residency at the Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg, WV, https://medicine.wvu.edu/internal-medicine-eastern-division/residency/

This podcast is engineered by Kym Mattioli.

Visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram to see incredible photography by Molly Humphreys, native of Shepherdstown, WV. Find more of her world-class portfolio by searching for Piccadilly Posh Photography.

https://www.facebook.com/PiccadillyPoshPhotography

Healthcare is Human is supported by the West Virginia Humanities Council, WVU Medicine, WVU Foundation, Freedom’s Run Foundation, and generous donors in our community.

Isaac McCarthy (PhD candidate, Ohio State University) plays the banjo to open and close the show. https://music.osu.edu/people/mccarthy.851

Healthcare is Human is featured on TED.com; KevinMD; Synapsis; The Gold Foundation; Narrative Mindworks; West Virginia Public Broadcasting; 100 Days in Appalachia; American Public Health Association; and Academy for Professionalism in Health Care, amongst others. 

#healthcareishuman

Be sure to visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram. If you have a great idea for a podcast, we would love to hear from you. 

Send us Fan Mail

Healthcare is Human: Internal Medicine Residency, Amanda Donnelly RN 

In this episode we meet Amanda Donnelly RN, an experienced nurse who plays a critical role in the daily operations of the primary care clinic at the WVU Internal Medicine Residency, Berkeley Medical Center, in Martinsburg, WV.   

“My husband was in the military and, as a result, we don't live near our family. So, I have adopted these patients as my aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Individualized care is really important because, even though we're dealing with patients who are 80 or 90 years old, you're also dealing with their daughters, sons, nieces, nephews and siblings. It's a big spectrum and you have to take these fast-paced roles and slow it down for patients, simplifying things, helping patients prioritize their care. The golden rule: take care of them like they're your family.”

“I think it's very important to understand and connect with our patients, letting them know that you're coming from a good place with a good heart as a servant leader. I'm inspired by the “butterfly effect.” That is, when you have people around you that allow you to spread your wings, you do exactly that.” 

“I hope to instill this in our internal medicine residents because, at the end of the day, they need to be great to our patients. Healthcare is always changing; you have to change with it. We can become stagnant in the nursing world, comfortable in our role. I came in here with seventeen years of OB-GYN experience and I took the initiative to earn the trust and gain the respect of our patients.”

This episode features the poem “Postcards From the Old World” read by its author, Renée K. Nicholson. You can learn more about Renée and her poetry by visiting http://www.reneenicholson.com/

Music written and performed by Robert Sears. 

Healthcare is Human was created by Ryan McCarthy and is a signature program of the Internal Medicine Residency at the Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg, WV. 

This podcast is engineered by Kym Mattioli.

Visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram to see incredible photography by Molly Humphreys, native of Shepherdstown, WV. You can find more of her world-class portfolio by searching for Piccadilly Posh Photography. 

Healthcare is Human is supported by the West Virginia Humanities Council, WVU Medicine, WVU Foundation, Freedom’s Run Foundation, and generous donors in our community.

Isaac McCarthy (PhD candidate, Ohio State University) plays the banjo to open and close the show.

Healthcare is Human is featured on TED.com, KevinMD, Synapsis, The Gold Foundation, Narrative Mindworks, American Public Health Association, West Virginia Public Broadcasting, and 100 Days in Appalachia.

#healthcareishuman

Be sure to visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram. If you have a great idea for a podcast, we would love to hear from you. 

Send us Fan Mail

Healthcare is Human: Internal Medicine Residency, Adrienne Raville, Ambulatory Director

In this episode we meet Adrienne Raville, director of ambulatory operations for the WVU Internal Medicine Residency at the Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg, WV.   

“I am a transplant from New York and I spent twenty years in corporate healthcare in Manhattan and West Chester County before I interviewed here. I was very impressed with the people I met. I have no doubt this is a new experience for our residents and I think that it is important to let them know we are here for them. Everyone comes from different experiences and hardships.” 

“One thing that we can teach them is to listen, to look at each patient as an individual. It is very important with their complexity of issues. Keeping in mind that we are here for the patient will hopefully generate a more empathetic point of view.” 

“I love to ride horses and anything that gets me outside, And there's plenty of places to do that around here. Coming from New York to West Virginia, I've come to appreciate that people are the same all over the world. Being involved in a residency, the whole planning, the purpose, the vision– I think is really wonderful. It is exciting and I am grateful to be a part of it. My hope is that the residents will have a great experience with us and decide to stay.”  

This episode features “Another Poem about West Virginia” read by its author, Renée K.Nicholson. You can learn more about Renée by visiting http://www.reneenicholson.com/

Music written and performed by Robert Sears. 

Healthcare is Human was created by Ryan McCarthy and is a signature program of the Internal Medicine Residency at the Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg, WV. 

This podcast is engineered by Kym Mattioli.

Visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram to see incredible photography by Molly Humphreys, native of Shepherdstown, WV. You can find more of her world-class portfolio by searching for Piccadilly Posh Photography. 

Healthcare is Human is supported by the West Virginia Humanities Council, WVU Medicine, WVU Foundation, Freedom’s Run Foundation, and generous donors in our community.

Isaac McCarthy (PhD candidate, Ohio State University) plays the banjo to open and close the show.

Healthcare is Human is featured on TED.com, KevinMD, Synapsis, The Gold Foundation, Narrative Mindworks, West Virginia Public Broadcasting, and 100 Days in Appalachia.

#healthcareishuman

Be sure to visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram. If you have a great idea for a podcast, we would love to hear from you. 

Send us Fan Mail

Healthcare is Human: Internal Medicine Residency, Melissa Green, Clinic Manager

In this episode we meet Melissa Green, the office manager at University Internal Medicine, the outpatient home for the new WVU Internal Medicine Residency at the Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg, WV.  

“I'm very excited for the program, our patients, and the community. I started my career in phlebotomy, worked my way up to referrals and authorizations, and now I'm the office supervisor for this wonderful practice and residency program.”

“We want our residents to have the best experience. This is our first year and we want to ensure that they have everything readily available. But most importantly, I think long-lasting relationships are really important. At the end of three years, I hope these doctors say ‘This was the best choice. I'm glad I chose this program.’ I hope, at the end, they can just say that this program was wonderful and they had a great experience.”

This episode features the original poem "Against Sarcopenia” read by its author, Renée K.Nicholson. Music written and performed by Robert Sears. 

Healthcare is Human was created by Ryan McCarthy and is a signature program of the Internal Medicine Residency at the Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg, WV. 

This podcast is engineered by Kym Mattioli.

Visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram to see incredible photography by Molly Humphreys, native of Shepherdstown, WV, whose world-class portfolio can be found by searching for Piccadilly Posh Photography. 

Healthcare is Human is supported by the West Virginia Humanities Council, WVU Medicine, WVU Foundation, Freedom’s Run Foundation, and generous donors in our community.

Isaac McCarthy (PhD candidate, Ohio State University) plays the banjo to open and close the show.

Healthcare is Human is featured on TED.com, KevinMD, Synapsis, Narrative Mindworks, and 100 Days in Appalachia.

#healthcareishuman

Be sure to visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram. If you have a great idea for a podcast, we would love to hear from you. 

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode we meet Lisa Beans, program manager for the West Virginia University Internal Medicine Residency at the Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg, WV, who says, “I have moved to America twice, and back to my home country of Germany once. When it comes to the internal medicine residency, I feel like I can manage this challenge because of all the things I have personally done in the past five years.” 

“A residency is a lot of moments happening at the same time. The team we have here, from nurses to doctors to facilities, have made me feel like home. I feel like I have been working for West Virginia University for a long time, not just nine months.”

“I am a country girl at heart. I started singing and dancing to ‘Country Roads’ as a teenager in Germany. I have an old soul and I love old country music and artists.” 

This episode features the original poem "Bluegrass Kitchen” read by its author, Renée K.Nicholson. Music written and performed by Robert Sears (West Virginia University College of Creative Arts and Media). 

Healthcare is Human is created by Ryan McCarthy and is a signature program of the Internal Medicine Residency at the Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg, WV. 

This podcast is engineered by Kym Mattioli.

Visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram to see incredible photography by Molly Humphreys, native of Shepherdstown, WV, whose world-class portfolio can be found by searching for Piccadilly Posh Photography. 

Healthcare is Human is supported by the West Virginia Humanities Council, WVU Medicine, WVU Foundation, and generous donors in our community.

Isaac McCarthy (PhD candidate, Ohio State University) plays the banjo to open and close the show.

Healthcare is Human is featured on TED.com, KevinMD, Synapsis, Narrative Mindworks, and 100 Days in Appalachia.

#healthcareishuman

Be sure to visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram. If you have a great idea for a podcast, we would love to hear from you. 

Send us Fan Mail

Mountain Metabolics: Lisa Euliss, Registered Dietician  

Healthcare is Human: Mountain Metabolics continues an in-depth look at individuals working in obesity, diabetes, and metabolic healthcare in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. We meet Lisa Euliss, a registered dietician working at the Diabetes and Nutrition Education Center in Martinsburg, WV. 

“I think it’s really challenging because everybody gets stuck in diet culture, and I explain to them it is a lifestyle change. And I talk to them about what their previous diet experience is, and a lot of times they've tried pretty much every single diet out there.”

“It's all about balance. And that's really what I talk to people about the most, is just balancing, getting back to the basics: fruits and vegetables, Like I said at the beginning, whole grains. So, making better choices. It’s not about restricting so much as making better choices of what you're having.”

This episode features the original poem "Reviewer's Notes” read by its author, Renée K.Nicholson. Music written and performed by Jared Sims. 

Healthcare is Human was created by Ryan McCarthy and is a signature program of the Internal Medicine Residency at the Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg, WV. 
 
This podcast is engineered by Kym Mattioli.
 
Visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram to see incredible photography by Molly Humphreys, native of Shepherdstown, WV, whose world-class portfolio can be found by searching for Piccadilly Posh Photography. 
 
Healthcare is Human is supported by the West Virginia Humanities Council, WVU Medicine, WVU Foundation, Freedom’s Run Foundation, and generous donors in our community.
 
Isaac McCarthy plays the banjo to open and close the show.
 
Healthcare is Human is featured in TED.com, KevinMD, Synapsis, Narrative Mindworks, and 100 Days in Appalachia.
 
 #healthcareishuman

Be sure to visit Healthcare is Human on Facebook and Instagram. If you have a great idea for a podcast, we would love to hear from you.